In June, they’re going back. But this time they plan to extend their stay…for five to seven years.

They have sold their cars, rented out their house, and sold or given away most of their belongings. It is a major upheaval, going from suburban Hampton Cove to a rural compound in Kenya, fenced in and surrounded by armed guards.

“We’re going to be living in a mission house, about a third the size of our home now,” said Curtis. “It’s going to be pretty basic.”

They wouldn’t have it any other way.

Last year they received word Kenya Relief was looking for full-time resident volunteer missionaries.

Devry says while her husband jumped at the opportunity to move to Africa, it took her some time to catch up. But eventually she couldn’t refuse the call.

“If you keep resisting that it makes it almost miserable. Even though you have all this if you`re not in God’s will, what good is it?”

Curtis says he had a feeling there was more for him to do, “and once you open yourself up to what that is, everything changes.”

The Coghlans answered the persistent tug on their hearts, leading them to Kenya. But while their calling is taking them halfway around the world, there is still work to be done in the community they’re leaving behind.

“You don`t have to go around the world to do missions,” said Curtis. “You can do it right here in Huntsville. Right here in Hampton Cove.”

The Coghlans are relying on support from their church family and the community to support their mission. They work there is entirely on a volunteer basis. You can keep up with the family’s journey or donate to their cause on their website Coghlans In Kenya, you can also follow them on Facebook.

“We figure if 100 people give 10 dollars a month that would be enough for the necessities,” said Devry.

The family doesn’t want to be a burden or the giving to be a hardship.

“We just want more people involved. Jesus said where your money goes your hearts follow. We want all those hearts with us.”

Nuclear Mike

Dean

I understand your point of view, Nuclear Mike, but I think a broader perspective is important.

A family is uprooting itself and intentionally lowering (or bottoming out) its standard of living to help people who have essentially nothing. The resulting burden they’re placing on others is 1) voluntary on the part of those who will help, and 2) likely based upon a surplus of money; something the “target” Kenyans don’t have but the overwhelming majority of those reading this article do.

For some who donate, it may be an opportunity to act on an impulse to contribute that they’ve never followed up on, and it would be a huge bonus to support someone they actually know.

None of that really seems like much of a burden. I don’t mean to be contentious; just offering some context and an opinion.